


The Last Snitch

by Syven



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 10:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11229009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syven/pseuds/Syven
Summary: Originally written on 03/20/2007 for littledupont on LJ.  Set after the Half-Blood Prince.





	The Last Snitch

The grip she had on her broom would have choked a dragon but she knew it was the only way she was going to get to the ground without freefalling 200 feet, so she tightened her already white-knuckled grip on the broom handle and willed it down another 15 feet. Her Quidditch boots skimmed the top of a cloud and Ginny took another deep, steadying breath.

It was the last game of the season, between Gryffindor and Slytherin for the House cup and Ginny had been hot on the trail of the snitch from the start, following it doggedly for nearly two hours when she'd passed through a cloud and caught it, her broom suddenly going haywire on her a second later.

"What do we have here?" Came a familiar tenor purr of smugness.

Ginny didn't spare the young wizard a glance, gritting out between her teeth. "Sod off, Pucey."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement and knew that he was bringing his broom closer. But not quite in reach, no, he was too smart for that, she pondered wryly, hoping he did not realize she had the snitch tucked snuggly into the waistband of her snug leather Quidditch trousers where it could not escape and she was afforded the use of both her hands. Ginny nearly jumped when he spoke again, mildly amused. "Ah, it looks like Dillon's little trick worked after all."

Now she did spare a glance and immediately regretted it. The gorgeous, raven-haired wizard was lounging on his broom, one leg bent at the knee as it rested along the length of his broom, looking all the while the ever-superior Slytherin. He was watching her with a smug, sated grin and Ginny swallowed nervously as she considered freeing her wand from her sleeve. Hissing irritably, Ginny snapped back. "Move along, Pucey. The snitch is still out there and I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of dying."

"What makes you think that would satisfy me, Red?" Adrian Pucey straightened on his broom, steering it deftly around to face her. "And what makes you think I'm looking for the snitch? I'm a Chaser."

"Just take your slimy Slytherin Chaser arse away from me, Pucey, or so help me, I will hex you." Licking her lips nervously, she risked letting her wand slip into her grip, tightening her hold on the broom with her thighs and remaining hand. Her broom bucked hard and she lost her grip, flaying madly as she fell a foot, catching the broom handle as her wand tumbled into the cloud.

"Accio wand!" Adrian called out sharply as he dove his broom to wrap an arm around the redhead's waist, murmuring huskily in her ear. "Hold still, Red."

"Get your grubby hands off me, Pucey. I don't want to have to burn this uniform to rid it of your stench." Ginny growled, not releasing her death grip on her broom handle but flushing lightly at the press of his solid chest against her back and the warm flutter of his breath on her neck as he chuckled.

She gasped as he suddenly released his hold on her and moved away, resuming his lounging with the air of someone who was in no hurry at all. "Have it your way, Red."

Grimacing, Ginny pulled herself up and slung her leg over her broom handle, closing her eyes and holding tightly as it began to buck wildly. She managed to calm it after a moment and opened one eye to see that the Slytherin hadn't moved an inch, grumbling in annoyance. "Don’t you have a Quaffle to chase or groupies to peel off, Pucey?"

"Don't you worry yourself on where I am supposed to be, Red. I'm exactly on the mark." He winked smugly, his grey blue eyes watching her with quiet intensity, giving her the impression of being in the sights of a stalking feline.

"Go to bloody Hell, already, would you?" She eased herself up into a sitting position cautiously and nudged her broom down another 15 feet. The Slytherin followed, never altering his pose as his broom dropped the distance to level off with hers once more, just out of reach. Ginny threw him a glare of defiance and his head tilted to the side thoughtfully.

"Why do you hate me so much, Red?" He asked suddenly with a tone of indifferent curiosity. 

Ginny stifled a gasp of surprise when her broom dropped another 20 feet unexpectedly. The Slytherin followed, sitting up normally on his broom with a small frown playing across his forehead. Taking a deep breath, Ginny answered as she let a shiver of fear run down her body. "You're Slytherin. Pureblood snob. Slytherin. Little rich boy dripping of girls and money like you're Merlin's gift to the world. Slytherin. Did I mention Slytherin?"

"You might have mentioned it, Red." His easy laugh hiding the flicker of confusion that raced across his gaze. Adrian pulled his broom closer, giving her an odd look. "Groupies aren't my thing, that's Marcus. You have us confused. Why? Are you feeling left out, Red?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Pucey." She growled, moving her broom down another 20 feet, desperately wishing she had her wand. Ginny had just turned her head to continue the debate when her broom simply gave out beneath her and she tumbled into free fall, rolling head over feet as her Quidditch cloak billowed and tore at her. The air rushed by her, pulling itself from her lungs and she felt the cold chill of unconsciousness stealing over her with a grim gratitude that she'd be spared awareness of the sudden drop at the bottom.

Her head lolled loosely as the raven-haired wizard snatched her out of the sky, cradling her to his chest with one arm holding her to him as he pulled his cloak around her. He grumbled faintly, as if he'd feared not catching her after all. "Bloody stubborn little witch."

Ginny came around in a cocoon of warmth, with a steady heartbeat sounding under her ear and the decidedly masculine scent to go along with the firm press of a strong arm around her. She stiffened and he chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated against her flush cheek as she whispered, dejected. "You have my wand."

"I do." Adrian responded, taking it from his cloak pocket and sliding it behind her ear with a small smirk gracing his lips. 

"If you're thinking of dropping me in sight of the team, you should know they'll kill you." Ginny growled, wanting to pull away from the fit Slytherin but fear of being dropped overrode her concerns and she slipped an arm around his waist.

"Ah, so you do prefer my touch to dying, after all." He tucked a lock of her hair off her face and behind her ear, smiling indulgently as his cool blue gaze gave away nothing. "You know, you have me all wrong, Red."

"Pureblood." She grumbled.

He nodded. "Last I checked, so were you."

"Rich." Ginny hissed.

He nodded again. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Snob." 

There was a small pause. "Wrong."

"Groupies."

No pause at all there. "Wrong."

"Slytherin." She spat as if it were a curse.

He shrugged as the Quidditch stadium came into view finally. Nodding toward it, he said. "Almost down, Red, just hold still and try not to look too repulsed."

"You could have just let me fall." Ginny whispered, her free hand rising to clutch the front of his Quidditch jersey when his broom dipped sharply, her cheek pressed against the hollow of his throat. 

Adrian shrugged again. "If I did that, I'd have to break in a new Gryffindor Seeker all over again. I'm already used to you."

They passed the first tower and she could hear gasps of surprise, her hand releasing his jersey as if it were on fire and sliding down to rest on the curve of her own hip, inches from his hand. Licking her lips, she tilted her head up to look up at him as she whispered. "I have the snitch, Pucey."

"I know, Red." He looked down at her with an enigmatic look in his blue eyes as he moved his hand to cover hers with a small squeeze before sliding it back to her waist.

Ginny frowned as the raven-haired wizard set his broom down, helping her steady herself as their feet hit the ground. "I don't understand."

"I know." He flashed a smile and turned away, crossing to meet to his team mates as her own swooped down to crowd around her, jostling her and hugging her in relief as she looked over their shoulders to where the Slytherin Chaser stood, arms folded over his chest as he nodded in some kind of agreement to his Team Captain.

"Gin! Did you see the snitch at all while you were up there?" The sound of her own Team Captain's voice filtered through the din and Ginny turned her head to him, her gaze fluttering down to her hand as she reached into the waistband of her trousers and pulled the snitch free. 

The stadium erupted in an enormous roar as she held it high over her head. Her team mates cheered wildly and lifted her onto their shoulders, pounding the air with their fists triumphantly. Her face flushed with the excitement and she returned the smiles and cheers after a moment, catching her lip thoughtfully only once as her gaze drifted over to the Slytherin team and found the chaser watching her in smug amusement, his head tilting in the smallest of nods to her before he turned and walked off the field.

It was the last game of the season and the last snitch Ginny had the chance to catch. All these years later, she knew she could pull aside the false bottom of her trunk and it would be lying there. She could run her fingers over the brushed golden globe and, in a flash, the events of that day would come back to her. 

The attacks that decimated the regal castle played out all over Britannia and Ginny gave little thought to the enigmatic Slytherin in the days that followed. It would be seven long years before she laid eyes on him again and, as his cool grey-blue eyes rested on her once more, Ginny heard his voice again, in her memory, as clear and strong, full of depth and mystery, just as it had been all those years ago. _"You have me all wrong, Red."_  
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